One on One
by mystic2182
Summary: Deleted scene from WMAWBS. Haley joins Nathan at the Rivercourt.


**One on One**

The ball bounced steadily against the pavement, the sound echoing throughout the almost empty court. He straightened his back, turning towards the basket as he lifted his arms up, releasing the ball with a flick of his wrist. The ball sailed smoothly through the air, bouncing soundly against the backboard before falling through the net. Striding over, he picked up the still bouncing ball again, setting himself up for another shot. His mind wandered, his thoughts heavy with doubt. Basketball. Music. Haley. Himself. Life had quickly become much more complicated than he could have ever expected.

Highfliers had been a dream of his ever since he had read about the camp. The best of the best were invited to this once in a lifetime opportunity; a mere stepping stone in a path that could lead to NCAA titles and ultimately the NBA. Six months ago he would have jumped at such an opportunity. Now, he turned it down. He only had one simple explanation: Haley. She was his whole reason, the only real reason he needed. He shot the ball again from farther out, his mind locked on thoughts of her, his body on the mechanics of basketball. Haley needed his support, his love, as she put herself out into the music world. She had a natural talent, one that made Nathan flush with pride, and one he refused to stand in the way of. He didn't want to miss the look on her face when she performed, and he certainly didn't want to wait three months to see it.

He knew he was turning down a once in a lifetime opportunity, even as he declined the offer, but he felt good. He knew he was doing the right thing, letting her know just how much he loved her. He wanted her to feel his support, to know how much he wanted her to succeed, to use their love as the base it was to do great things: both together and separately. She had given him the love and support he needed to become a better man, he simply saw this as his perfect opportunity to repay her. Love was about sacrifice, she had shown him that numerous times, and if he wasn't meant to play in the NBA, he would be happy with a strong and unbreakable bond with an amazing woman.

His father had always tried to tell him basketball was his destiny, his legacy. He had believed it, believed he was everything his father molded. It wasn't until she showed him, gave him a way to see that he was his own man, not a Dan Scott clone. He had never been the same since. With Haley's help, he had broken free of the pain and unhappiness his dad seemed intent on making his destiny.

When it all came down to it he had Haley. She was more important than scoring titles, rebound percentages, or perfecting his free throw. While he loved the game, and always would, he simply loved her more. And he knew this wasn't the end of his basketball career, he had only begun, but now he was doing it for himself, and in turn, for her.

Dan Scott threw down his cell phone, the words replaying in his head, over and over. He said he didn't want to leave his wife. Nathan had turned down basketball glory for this girl. He looked out through the windshield and focused on Nathan's form, his knees slightly bent as he practiced his jump shot. This wasn't something Nathan would have ever done. While Dan was upset, he couldn't help the twinge of pride that flickered at his son's determination and sacrifice. Dan gave himself a moment to smile as he knew Nathan was a good man. That was his influence; Deb had been wrong, he hadn't ruined him. His mind focused quickly back to the problem at hand. This marriage was proving to be harder to break up than he had originally thought.

Dan had been sure that this whole thing was simply a lark, a minor blip in his son's road to greatness. He was caught up in puppy love, it was nothing to focus on; Dan had never even really paid much attention to Nathan and Haley's relationship, only noticing the increase in Nathan's grades.

Now it seemed that they were solidifying their place together. Nathan was clearly ready to give up any chance at the NBA for this girl. Dan felt his hold on Nathan begin to loosen, he only hoped he would be able to grasp on to it a little while longer.

Haley walked happily, her shift at the Café over, her afternoon open for once. She relished in the idea of spending a lazy afternoon with Nathan curled up on the couch, watching TV. They'd fight over control of the remote, like always, Nathan wanting one of many basketball games, while Haley would fight for MTV. It always ended the same, however, with the TV on a random channel, no one watching, rather the sounds of soft moans coming from the couch. She giggled to herself, the light breeze ruffling her hair, sending a chill down her spine. She pulled her cell phone from her purse, hoping to catch Nathan at home, wanting to tell him to turn on the TV.

She pressed her speed dial, their apartment the first number on her phone, and she listened intently to the rings as she continued down the street. It rang repeatedly, and she scanned her surroundings, taking in the trees that surrounded the Rivercourt before spotting a familiar silhouette against the western sky. Flipping closed her phone; her face broke out in a wide grin as she quickly crossed the street, running to avoid the oncoming traffic.

She walked up silently behind him, holding in the giggles that threatened to escape. He hadn't noticed her presence, his back to her, his body square to the basket. He moved effortlessly, dribbling the ball back and forth rhythmically, his stance solid. Silently putting down her purse, she admired him from behind, his arms glistening in his cut off t-shirt, his hair shiny with sweat. Moving to stand directly behind him, he still had not noticed her, and she took the opportunity to jump on his back.

His scream had her in fits of laughter.

"Hi honey!" She still clung to his back, her mouth near his ear. She could feel the tense muscles of his back, his stance automatically shift to regain balance.

He looked over his shoulder at her, his brows furrowed, while a smile tugged at his lips. "Haley, you could really give a guy a heart attack, sneaking up on me that way."

"Oh that's not the only way I could give you a heart attack." She spoke huskily in his ear, before sliding down his back to stand beside him.

He turned to face her then, his eyes trained on hers. "Is that so? It might be worth the pain to experience that first hand." He leaned down to kiss her, his arms banded around her waist. She squealed, feeling his sweat through his t-shirt, but he kept her close. Pulling at her lip with his teeth, he smirked as he felt her breath hitch, before leaning back to look her in the eye.

She blinked rapidly, her emotions running wild within her. It always amazed her how quickly he could illicit a response from her body, it took no more than a mere kiss or touch, and she was putty in his hand. Her eyes focused on his face, taken in his wide smirk and defiant raised eyebrow.

"Oh shut up." He laughed then, his fingers dancing along the waistband of her jeans, dipping beneath the fabric to caress her back, edging along the line of her underwear.

"So what brings you here? I thought you had to work."

"I did. My shift's over. How long have you been here?" She saw his face cloud over in thought, his hand reaching down to pull at hers, bringing her watch into view. He saw that hours had passed, his mind completely filled with various thoughts, making him lose complete track of time.

"Wow, I've been here longer than I thought." He pulled her towards the bench, wanting to gather his things, ready to spend the rest of his day with her. She stood still, her feet planted in place. He looked back questioningly, his brow furrowed.

"Let's play." She spoke simply, before bending down to pick up the basketball that had rolled to her feet. She dribbled it haphazardly, each bounce a little less in control. He smiled at the sight of her, her face scrunched in concentration, her eyes focused on the ball intently. She raised her eyes to meet his, and quickly lost control of the ball, sending it flying off to the side.

She shrugged briefly, letting the ball roll to the side, before it settled in the brush that surrounded the court. She grinned at him and he found himself grinning back. "You want to play?" She had never expressed a real interest in basketball, especially after he had tutored her in free throws; she had seemed to avoid it at all costs. He knew she supported him, but her involvement was strictly resigned to spectator.

"What? You afraid of being embarrassed by your wife?" She wiggled her eyebrows wildly.

"That sounds like a challenge Mrs. Scott." She simply smirked. "Oh prepare to be humiliated."

He ran over to get the ball as she deposited her jacket to the bench before returning to half court. He dribbled in front of her, his eyes never leaving her face. She simply stared back, before leaning over to stretch her legs. She gave him a clear view of her butt, seeming to wiggle it in front of him. She stood up straight again, winking quickly at him before lifting her hands above her head, giving him a peek of her stomach as her shirt rode high on her torso.

He shook his head, his tongue clicking against his teeth. "I can tell this is going to be a dirty game."

She laughed loudly, "What kind of game would it be if it wasn't? So what are the rules, hot shot?"

"How about for every basket I make, I get one point, and for every basket you make you get three? That should make it even."

"I'm insulted. How little do you think of me?" She put her hands on her hips. "I only need two points for every basket." She grabbed the ball from his grasp, and ran off, dribbling crazily, her hair bouncing. He gave her a quick head start, allowing her to get close to the basket, her body ready to shoot, before coming up behind her and grabbing the ball from her hands and dribbling up past the 3 point line. She pouted defiantly before regaining her position in front of him, guarding him closely. He stood dribbling in place, almost daring her to come closer for the ball.

She moved a step closer, her stance widening to study his, watching the ball bounce solidly against the pavement before returning to his palm. It wasn't just skill that made him great at basketball, it was quite simply passion. It was amazing to watch him, to watch the entire change in his personality when a basketball was in his hand. Whether it was in practice or in a game he held a quiet grace that never ceased to amaze her.

The look on his face told her to steal the ball, told her he was waiting for her to make the move, and he would do nothing to stop it. She knew she had little chance of scoring any points, let alone beating him, she simply wanted to share this part of him with her. He looked back at her, his gaze unwavering, before she simply grabbed the ball, her giggles trailing behind her as she raced to the basket. Looking up she saw she had gone too far, she was completely under the basket, with no chance in hell at getting it in. She moved again to position herself to the side, heaving the ball up, with little thought to form or precision, the ball clanging loudly against the backboard before bouncing the other side. She raced to it, and felt him behind her, ready to guard her next move. She turned back towards the basket and met his gaze, his body right in front of hers. He had his hands out straight up over his head, giving her a clear path around him to the basket. Haley grinned widely at him, earning a grin in return, before running to the basket, prepared to shoot yet again. This time she hit the rim, the ball rolling around before dropping off the side. She grunted loudly. This was why she hated playing the game; she had absolutely no basketball skill within her. She must have missed the day in school when they worked on athletic ability, because she had next to none.

She ran around him crazily, repeatedly shooting the ball, and missing every time. He did little to stop her, seemingly trying to get her some points before he even took a shot. She shot again, this time at a far away angle, simply throwing the ball up in hopes to get something in. Nathan stood off to the side, seeming to have more fun watching her play than actually joining in himself.

"Haley, what did I teach you about basketball?"

She faked contemplation. "The Pickerington Hicks are hillbillies and the fade away is for losers and Luke?"

He laughed. "Ha ha. I mean, I thought we had figured out your secret weapon. You have a mean granny shot. Use it to your advantage."

Her face lit up. "That's right! I forgot about that. It's the only shot I can make." She dribbled over to the free throw line, widened her stance, and shot it underhand. The ball sailed threw the air and went straight through the net, the only sound a whisper as the ball brushed against the net.

She jumped up and clapped giddily, her eyes alight with happiness, before throwing herself against him. She kissed him soundly and gave him little time to react before she was racing for the ball again.

He gave her a few more granny shots, allowing her to pad her lead before he even contemplated taking a shot. She shot again, this time missing, and he grabbed the rebound, signifying he was ready to play. She smiled, eager to actually play, and took up her place in front of him, her arms moving wildly around to try and block all angles. He stepped to the side and shot it, the ball smoothly sailing through the net, the movement effortless.

He moved back to the top of the key, again ready to take another shot. She let him pass her, before jumping on his back, his stride faltering at the sudden addition of her weight. "Not going to work this time, sweetheart." He continued on to the basket, never breaking his dribbling, before shooting, complete with her on his back.

Nathan laughed loudly and Haley quickly joined in, as the ball sailed through the hoop.

It was nice to enjoy basketball again, to feel the joy it brought to simply shoot around on a lazy afternoon, with little or no thought to his form or how many shots he had missed. There was no one there who would tell him to bend his knees more or to adjust his stance. It was simply a game, the way it was intended to be. And he was sharing it with the one person who mattered.

"Sorry to disappoint, but your tricks are useless now. I'm on to you lady." Nathan looked over his shoulder to where Haley still clung to his back, her legs wrapped around his hips.

"Oh I've got plenty more up my sleeve; I was just going with what had worked before." She grinned and gave him a peck on the cheek before sliding down to stand behind him.

Nathan turned to look at her then, really seeing her for the first time since they had started their game. Her hair had been thrown up into a haphazard bun, probably sometime during her shift, as she usually ended up frustrated with her hair in her face by the end. He enjoyed nothing more than pulling out her hair tie, watching that soft auburn hair fall in waves around her face, her graceful neck hidden. Her cheeks were flushed pink, the spring air still holding a bit of its winter chill, the color making her lips seem fuller, riper for his. She looked at him then, wary of his inquisition, and brought his attention back to her eyes. Those eyes that he woke up to every morning, those same eyes he would be seeing for years to come.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the ball hitting his stomach, and bouncing away. He heard her giggles first, as his face registered shock. "I can't believe you just threw a ball at me."

"Well if you weren't so busy staring, it wouldn't have happened. Do you stare at all your opponents, or only those you know are about to make a comeback?" She wiggled her eyebrows at him and jabbed him in his side with her elbow.

He laughed again, bringing his lips down to caress hers, smelling the scent of roses and vanilla that surrounded her. She kissed him back easily, smothering his lips in a frenzy of kisses. His hands went to still her, to allow him to deepen the kiss, only to find her twisting away and running for the ball.

Watching them together, Dan found it hard to think clearly. He knew it was necessary to end this, to stop this marriage before it really had time, but seeing them together changed it. It was hard to deny that his son was happy, happier than he had seen him in awhile. Basketball had been his one point of happiness, and that clearly was changing.

Dan had to give them credit where it was due. They did fit well. It was obvious they were happy and seemingly in love, but that didn't mean it was right. What was right was bringing Nathan's focus back to basketball, spending the summer in Florida honing his skills, strengthening him into the kind of player whose future was million dollar endorsement deals with Nike and supermodel girlfriends. Dan didn't doubt that what Nathan had with Haley was true, but love, that was another story. What did sixteen year olds know about love?

Drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, he tried to collect his thoughts. He really hadn't thought of another way to separate them, pretty much thinking the Highfliers opportunity was a sure thing. The Nathan he knew would never have given up a chance like that in a million years. He was clearly dealing with a Nathan who had his priorities mixed up, and it was up to Dan to fix it. His eyes focused on the court, watching Haley squirm away from Nathan's embrace to grab the ball again. He watched the easy grin that exploded on his son's face, watched as he chased after her, saw her face mirror his.

It was a shame they had to end.

Nathan grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back to him, hearing her squeal happily at being caught. He reached for the ball, which she tried to keep from him. His arms around her, he carried her towards the basket, her body tight against his, her hands holding on to the ball for dear life.

"Nate, what are you doing? Put me down right now." Her voice held no threat, only happiness.

"I want to see my girl dunk." He began to lift her upwards, bringing her closer to the rim, her body still tight against his.

"I can't reach that! Nathan! Put me down!" She wriggled against him.

"Hales, how often do you have the chance to dunk? C'mon!" He lifted her fully this time, bringing her butt to rest against his chest, his hands gripping her armpits. Her arms straight above her head, Haley reached up and easily put the ball through the hoop, her hands grazing the rim.

She laughed loudly above him and he pulled her back down, her feet resting again on the ground. She jumped happily in his arms, her arms snaking around his neck as she pulled him into a breathless kiss. He felt himself sink into the kiss, felt her breath on his cheek, her fingers scratching lightly through his hair. He applied pressure to her lips, felt her push back equally, her tongue darting out to slip into his waiting mouth. Their companionable moans mingled in the air, his hands pulling at the belt loop of her jeans, bringing her closer, fitting her hips against his. He changed the angle of the kiss, sinking deep until she moaned again, this time much louder, and took hold of his shirt tightly.

His mouth brushed her cheeks, her temples, skimmed down to graze her neck. His fingers dug into her hips roughly as she moved her mouth to his throat, her tongue circling his Adam's apple, her body pressing tightly into his.

The sound of a car horn had them jumping apart guiltily. Looking around wildly, Nathan was surprised to see they were still at the Rivercourt, in plain view of half of Tree Hill. Looking down at Haley's flushed face; he saw she had just reached the same conclusion. His eyes locked on hers and they shared an embarrassed laugh. Nervously, Haley pulled at her shirt, her hair in wild wings around her face. She had never looked more beautiful.

Taking her hand in his, he pulled her towards the bench, grabbing the ball along the way, and gathering their things. She linked her fingers with his, pulled herself close into his side, her stride matching his.

"Let's go home and watch some TV." She pulled at his arm, taking in the quizzical look on his face and giggled happily.

"But we never agree on what to watch."

"I know." She smirked.

The End


End file.
